Ionia students make it to the semi-finals

The Ionia High School Forensics team topped off their season with the State tournament last weekend. Three members of the team qualified for states based on their rankings at the regional tournament in April. Qualifiers were Sarah Stigall, senior, in sales; Ben Lewis, sophomore, in Impromptu 9/10; and Abby Read, freshman, in Impromptu 9/10.

The Ionia High School Forensics team topped off their season with the State tournament last weekend. Three members of the team qualified for states based on their rankings at the regional tournament in April. Qualifiers were Sarah Stigall, senior, in sales; Ben Lewis, sophomore, in Impromptu 9/10; and Abby Read, freshman, in Impromptu 9/10.

A sales speech is a pre-rehearsed pitch that tries to convince the judges to buy a particular product of the student's choice. A competitor in impromptu has six minutes to read a quote and develop a speech regarding that quote. The 9/10 category changes each season and this year it was impromptu's turn. The 9/10 distinction splits the competitors into age groups so that freshman and sophomores compete against each other and juniors and seniors compete in a separate category.

Stigall, who placed 11th in the state in the sales category for class BCD, was also highly ranked in many of the tournaments the team participated in this year. Stigall was first at the H.H. Dow tournament, fifth at the Alma Tournament and placed third at the Black Hawk Invitational.

"We had a lot of fun this year. The best part of forensics is that you meet people that you wouldn't normally have met," said Stigall.

Read, who placed eighth in the state in the Impromptu 9/10 category in class BCD, is the first freshman to compete at the state level in a few years. Read also placed second in the same category at the Mason County Central tournament.

"I have made a couple of close friends this year because of this class. I can't wait to be in it again next year," said Read, who is also a member of the Ionia High School debate team.

Lewis also had a good season before advancing to the state tournament. He came in first place at the Mason County Central tournament and was seventh in the state. Lewis was just two points away from making it into the final round of the state tournament for class BCD.

"Overall, we have had a very successful season. This is the first year in a long time where all of our state competitors have made it to the semi-finals," said forensics advisor Doug Tackmann.

The team placed sixteenth out of a total of 70 teams in class BCD at states. In addition, the team also won a trophy for second place at the H.H. Dow Tournament in the "Small Entry" category.